Changes to course of study

If your course end date is extended because you have added a Year in Industry or Study Abroad year to your programme, you can make a new Student Visa application from within the UK in order to obtain a visa to cover the remainder of your studies. You can make the visa application at any point prior to your current visa expiring but not during the work placement (so either before your placement starts or once it has finished).  Please refer to our guidance on preparing for a Student Route Visa application in the UK.

If you commenced a Bachelor degree and you now want to progress to an undergraduate Master’s degree and need additional time on your visa for the Masters year, you will need to make a new Student Visa application. You can make the application in the UK.

Once you have made the application, your record will be transferred on to the new programme route.

You should also check if the Undergraduate Masters programme requires you to hold ATAS clearance. See our ATAS guidance for more information. You should obtain ATAS clearance in advance of making a Student Route application. 

Sometimes, you may have mitigating circumstances which mean that your course end date has been extended. If you need additional time on your Student Visa you will need to make a Student Visa application from your home country in order to obtain a visa to cover the remainder of your studies.

Please note: If you are currently undertaking a PhD and you need additional time to complete your course, you are able to make a visa application in the UK for this purpose. You are not required to leave the UK and apply from your home country. Please refer to our guidance on applying for your Student Route Visa.

Due to changes in the Immigration Rules, students who are downgrading and continuing with the lower level qualification of an integrated undergraduate masters programme (e.g. MEng to BEng or MSci to BSc) no longer need to obtain a new Student visa in order to change programmes. Instead, when you complete your studies after downgrading, the College will inform UKVI that you have completed your course early and email you to confirm this. UKVI should then send you a curtailment notice which will confirm an earlier expiry date for your current Student visa. You must ensure that you either leave the UK or apply for further leave under either the Student route for a new course or another immigration category before your curtailed visa expiry date. You should check your emails and post regularly, but we advise that you act within four months of our report to UKVI.

Provided you still successfully complete your course with the lower award (e.g. BEng / BSc), your early completion should not impact on your eligibility to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Due to changes in the Immigration Rules, students who are downgrading and continuing with the lower level qualification of an integrated PhD (e.g. PhD to MPhil) no longer need to obtain a new Student visa in order to change programmes. Instead, when you complete your studies after downgrading, the College will inform UKVI that you have completed your course early and email you to confirm this. UKVI should then send you a curtailment notice which will confirm an earlier expiry date for your current Student visa. You must ensure that you either leave the UK or apply for further leave under either the Student route for a new course or another immigration category before your curtailed visa expiry date. You should check your emails and post regularly, but we advise that you act within four months of our report to UKVI.

Provided you still successfully complete your course with the lower award (e.g. MPhil), your early completion should not impact on your eligibility to apply for a Graduate Visa.

Resits without attendance

If you are required to resit examinations but are not required to be in attendance at the College during that academic year, the College is required to inform the Home Office that you are not required to attend and they will take action to cancel your visa. You will need to make arrangements to leave the UK. You then apply to come back to the UK as a visitor in order to attend your exams. Once your exams are over you should leave the UK again to await the results. If you subsequently progress into the next year of your course at that stage you will be given a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in order to apply for a new Student Visa. See our Short-term study guidance for more information about applying as a visitor. 

Resits with attendance

If you are required to repeat an academic year with attendance at the College, this will extend your formal course end date. You will need to make a Student Visa application in order to obtain enough time on your visa to complete the course and you can make this Student Visa application from within the UK.

If you are thinking about taking a break from your studies, this is called an interruption of studies. The break is usually for the reminder of the academic year or a full calendar year and most often is needed for health-related, financial or other personal / work-related reasons. If you decide to pause your studies your student status will change (you will still be registered but not enrolled). This may affect things like your funding, your right to remain in the UK or services that depend on being an enrolled student. 

Your interruption of studies is likely to extend your study end date. The College will normally have to inform the Home Office that you are no longer studying and you will have to make arrangements to leave the UK. You will need to apply for a new Student Visa from your home country before you can resume your studies.

The Student Support Zone webpage provides guidance so that you understand what you need to think about, who is available to advise and support you, and how to apply for an interruption of studies.

If you change programme route within your department (for example, transferring to a different degree) and the new course is at the same level and is the same length as your previous course or shorter, there is no requirement for you to apply for a new Student Visa. However, the College is still required to inform the Home Office of the change so you will be asked to complete a Change of Study form. You should check if the new course requires you to hold ATAS clearance, as you will need to obtain this before you move to the new course.